The Powers That Be

"It feels so different, Wil. We can't even bury her," Dawn said.

"I know Dawnie. It seems a bit unfair, empty like. We could make a memorial if that would help you," Willow offered.

"Like a memorial stake," Xander said.

"What about Anya? We could do something for her, too. She helped us, a lot. Like when Wil was all veiny, Anya was the one who used the counter spell," Dawn said hopefully. She desperately wanted to help Xander with his loss. This was way hard for him: Buffy and Anya.

"I don't know what we'd do for her," Xander said.

"What about another magic shop? You know how much Anya liked her money, and well sex, but I think we're safer with the money," Willow offered.

"We could do that. What good is a Hellmouth without a magic shop?" Dawn said.

The mood seemed to lighten slightly. They all had many memories of the Magic Box in Sunnydale, and it would be nice to have another one to make more memories for them.

"I've finished the plans for the center, Xander," Giles said as he walked into the hotel room.

"Oh, goodie. I can finally feel useful. I'll find a crew and we'll start building Slayer Central, take two," Xander said.

"Good. I feel that if I stay in this hotel for much longer, I'll lose my mind," Giles said. He took his glasses off and cleaned them.

"I think everyone feels like that. The girls are complaining, and it's just badness all around," Dawn said.

"As soon as the plans are final, Angel will send us the money to get started. I should call with an update," Giles said.

"I'll get started on the stake idea, and I'll look up places that could be used as a magic shop," Dawn said.

"I'm really proud of Dawn. She's taking this really well," Willow said once Dawn was out of earshot.

"I know. I am too, but she's one tough girl. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time she's had to go through this. Buffy did a good job teaching Dawn after Joyce died," Xander said.

"Yeah. It was very unpretty for a while, but in the end, Buffy pulled through, just like she always did," Willow said.

"Dawn has that same spirit in her," Xander said.

"Hey guys, I've found some places," Dawn called.


"Not exactly complaining, but I thought Hell would be, well, Hell-like," Spike mused as he looked around.

The place wasn't all fire and brimstone like the Good Book said it would be, and this somehow didn't settle too well with the vampire. Not that he was exactly looking forward to the remainder of eternity residing in a very large, hot, burning fire, but this was just unnerving. In a way, the place reminded him of limbo; the place that he had been in while waiting to rise as a vampire. Since people who were turned weren't exactly dying, they couldn't be sent to their eternal resting place, so they were sent to limbo.

"That is because this place is not Hell, Spike," a voice told him.

"Right then, where in the bloody hell am I?"

"Limbo. We couldn't send you to Hell," the voice added off handedly.

"Couldn't? What do you mean?" Spike couldn't hide his confusion.

"Her. You two were connected, and you can't go to heaven with her and she can't go to Hell with you," the voice said.

"Her? Her who?" Spike asked, terrified about what the mystic sounding voice would tell him.

"The Slayer."

Spike's mouth formed a silent 'o'. So, he hadn't been dreaming it all. She really had been standing there, holding his hand, and then holding on to him for dear life at the end of the world. "So, mate, what happens now?"

"That is a decision I leave to you."

"Wait a bloody minute. I just get to decide where I want to spend eternity?"

"Yes. I will give you options, then you choose your fate. You were chosen to be her champion, this as your reward."

"Who are you?"

"The Powers That Be."

"Right. What are my options, then?"

"For having died twice already, you think I'd be used to this, but every time it's somewhere new," Buffy said.

"True, Slayer. This is limbo, the place between," a voice said.

"Between what? The Gap and Express?" Buffy asked. She had had a really hard day, with dying and all. She really didn't want to play cryptic message with the mystic voices.

"Between. There is no other way to describe it. You are here because you went with him, you died in his arms."

"If I died with him, then why isn't he here – with me?" Buffy asked.

"Things aren't that simple. You've changed things, you're always changing things. We weren't ready to deal with this turn of events, Slayer."

"We? We who?" Buffy asked.

"The Powers That Be. The amulet was for you to give to a champion; you weren't expected to die with him."

"I like surprise endings. I've done this death thing a few times, and so I know that you, the PTB, can take form. So form, I'm dead and I'm still getting the wiggins."

"Must you always be this difficult?" Giles' form spoke.

"Oh great choice, thanks. And yes," Buffy answered annoyed. It was nice to see a friendly face, but her Watcher? Why couldn't it be someone hot, or at least youngish?

"You've made things increasingly difficult. The First was able to come to power because you've cheated death more than you should. You've changed the balance completely by awakening all of the potential Slayers. Then you died along with your champion," Giles said in his most annoyed tone. Buffy had grown accustomed to it over the past seven years.

"Forgive me, I'll try to be more careful next time I'm saving the world from big, bad evil," Buffy retorted.

"That isn't the point, Buffy. You have to make a choice."

"Ok."

"Where do you want to spend what's left of eternity?"


Angel stared out the window. The sun was bright outside, dozens of people wandered the streets of L.A. oblivious to how close the end of the world had been. Angel shook his head. He had to stop thinking about her. She was dead. Even if she was alive, he'd still be here, alone. She had chosen Spike. She loved Spike. Angel was no fool, despite what Spike's opinion was; he knew how she felt about him. He could tell when she kissed him. Angel knew Buffy cared about him, but there was no love behind her kiss – her heart was lost to him.

"Angel?" Fred asked. She was concerned. Angel hadn't left his office since his phone call with Willow, and he had been more broody than normal ever since he returned from Sunnydale.

"What is it Fred?" Angel couldn't keep the irritation from his voice.

"This came in today," Fred said.

"Mail? You came in here because of mail?" Angel asked.

"That's exactly why I came in here. It didn't come in the mail. It just came," Fred tried to explain.

"Great. Mystical package. Just what I need," Angel said, "I'll look into it."

Fred got the hint and left Angel alone once again. Angel sighed. He didn't like being so cruel to his friends, but he needed to be alone. Cordy knew all about him needing to be alone; Dark Place, that's what she'd called it. "Great, thoughts about both of my ex-loves. This just keeps getting better." Angel picked up the package. It was unmarked and about the size of a video cassette tape. He really should have some tests run on it, but curiosity got the better of him. Angel ripped open the package and dropped the contents onto his desktop.

"Wes, Gunn, Loren, Fred!" Angel yelled, "You guys had better get in here!"

The group dashed into the office expecting something more than just Angel staring down at his desk.

"What is it?" Wesley asked.

"Look," Angel pointed to his desk.

"Didn't that go to Sunnydale to avert an apocalypse? Gunn inquired.

"Uh huh," Angel answered, "So, why and how did it end up on my desk?"

"Why is it glowing?" Fred asked.

The group watched in awe as the amulet began to glow. It started as a faint blue, before it turned into a piercing white light. They all hid their eyes. Once the light subsided, they blinked to allow their eyes to adjust.

"Bloody hell."

Angel opened his mouth, and then quickly closed it. There were no words. The rest of the AI team had the same sentiments.

"Spike?" Buffy asked.

Spike moved his head to find the voice. There she was, standing right next to her. "Buffy."

Buffy was in his arms the next moment. It was all too good to be true. She was back, and safe in Spike's strong arms. Spike was overwhelmed. He was back, the girl of his dreams willingly resting in his arms. Nothing could upset his mood, not even Tall, Dark and Forehead.

"B-buffy?" Angel asked.

Buffy looked up from where her head had been nestled in Spike's chest. There were five sets of eyes blinking blankly at her. "So much for the quiet rest in Spike's arms."

"Yep. Back from the dead, again," Buffy said lightly.

"How?" Angel whispered.

Buffy closed her eyes. There was going to be a lot of questions, a lot of things she had to explain. They weren't going to be the only ones with questions; she had some of her own. Most of them, wait, all of them, were for a certain bleached vampire.

"We should call the Scoobies. There's no point in going through this twice," Spike said.

Angel nodded.

Hours later, the group of them had assembled in the large conference room. When the Scoobies had arrived, no one knew quite how to react. There were no hugs, only nervous smiles and slight tearing. It was expected. This was the third time Buffy had come back from the dead. She was surprised the gang dealt as well as they did. The reaction from the AI team was expected, they didn't really know her, and Angel's reaction was understandable. She had hurt him pretty badly, only to come back with Spike.

"I know you guys all have questions, lots of questions. I need to tell you that I don't understand all of this yet. I was dead, really dead. More importantly, I'm so sorry to keep putting you all through this emotional roller coaster. I don't know how you guys deal," Buffy began. She didn't know where to go from there. Too many things needed to be said.

"'Sup, B?" Faith asked. She was not one for long silences. This was weird, but not exactly surprising.

Buffy smiled. It was good to have someone break the silence. "The last thing you probably remember is the amulet thing going all ET. That's when Faith started getting all the Slayers out of the Hellmouth. The amulet destroyed all the Turok-Hans, and then it started doing something to Spike," Buffy said.

"That's when I soddin' told you to get lost," Spike said, irritated by the memory. He still couldn't believe that she had died by his side.

Buffy smiled warmly at Spike, he was so cute when he was all irritable. "But I couldn't leave him to save the world alone. Then we went all combusty, then I ended up in limbo – literally."

"You too, then?" Spike asked.

"Yep. Then the PTB started talking all mystic like. Then, having died before, I told him to stop the mojo and take form –"

"They can do that? Bollocks, wish I would've know that. Saved me the talking to the void part," Spike interrupted.

"You'll get over it, Spike. This next part Giles, you'll like it. The PTB took your form. Did a pretty good you in fact. That's when they told me I had a choice. I could stay dead, and be all happy in heaven, or I could come back," Buffy said flatly.

"So that's it then? You just 'decided' it would be best to come back did you?" Spike asked.

Buffy looked away. This was way harder than spirit Giles had said it would be. How was she supposed to make her friends, or Spike understand? "It wasn't exactly that easy. I was reminded of how much I've messed up things in my seven years as Slayer Buffy. I've upset the balance. In order for this unbalance to become balanced again I've been given," Buffy looked up at Spike who had his eyes slightly narrowed on hers, "Immortality."

Buffy watched as Spike's eyes widened, as did everyone else's. Sure it was shocking, but the option of being alone in heaven wasn't exactly a high point for her…not when the other option was Spike.

"Damn, B," Faith said.

"Guess they just got sick of me cheating death," Buffy said offhandedly.

"Why did the Powers take my form?" Giles asked.

"I don't know. Maybe because it was familiar," Buffy said. "Spike?"

"Right, s'pose it's my turn then. Mine's 'bout the same, minus the whole form of Rupes bit. I was told that I could spend eternity in another dimension, or that I could come back here."

"That's it?" Buffy asked with disbelief.

"Oh, I also got my gem back," Spike said cockily.

"You get another shot, and the Gem of Amara, unbelievable," Angel said.

"S'not my fault you smashed yours, Peaches," Spike retorted.

Angel glared. He was livid. Spike had everything that was meant to be his. His girl. His gem. His champion status. It wasn't fair. He'd been the one with the soul for a good long time, then Spike decides that it would be cool to get one too. Good-bye girl, good-bye everything.

"So, you're back for good this time?" Dawn asked.

"I'm not going anywhere, Dawnie," Buffy answered. She rushed over to her sister and hugged her tightly. Tears streamed down the sisters faces.

"What does this mean? What now, Buffy?" Willow asked.

Buffy moved slowly out of her sister's embrace, "I don't know, Wil. I don't know."


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